Printing device



. ANTHNY PRINTING DEVICE @www 253%,

Filed Jan. 8, 1935 atente pr.

rington Manufacturing Company,

Mass., a corporation Boston, of Massachusetts Application .llanuary 8, 1935, Serial No. 871

9 Claims.

In the art of printing devices of the type now lgenerally used in department stores for printing names and addresses on sales slips and the like with small embossed plates carried by the cusl tomers as identification tokens, it is customary to provide a carrying case for each plate, such cases usually being formed of leather or other flexible material.

The obj ect ofthe present invention is to provide a carrying case which prevents distortion of the plate while carried in a purse or pocket, which is also light and compact, which prevents access of the customer to the plate, which permits removal of the plate from the casing only by means of an unlocking device retained by the department store or other authorized agency, which affords ready removal of the plate by the store clerk or the like, and to provide an unlocking device which is simple and reliable in construction, which performs the unlocking operation in response to straight-line or rectilinear movement of the case into the device, and which also ejects the plate at least partially from the casing.

For the purpose of illustration a typical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of a printing or stamping machine having one of the aforesaid unlocking devices;

Fig. 2 is a section on line -2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end View, with parts broken away, of the printing plate holder;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the printing side of the embossed printing plate;

r Fig. 5 is an end view of the printing plate, viewed from` the end which is inserted foremost into the `aforesaid plate casing;

Fig. 6 vis an end view of the plate and casing telescoped together;

Fig. 7 is a section on line 'l--l of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a section on line 2--2 of Fig. 1, showing the parts in the position which they occupy after the plate casing has been inserted into the unlocking device and the plate has been partially 'I ejected from the casing; and

Fig. 9'is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 1.

rfhe particular printing machine shown for the purpose of illustration comprises a base l having a bottom 2 adapted to rest on a table or the like and an upper portion 3 for supporting the sheet or sheets to be printed, the parts 2 and 3 being `separated by a space t to receive a salesbook or the like with the uppermost sheet or sheets of the book resting on the platform 3. The upper si-de of the platform 3 is provided with a `flat (Cil. i-369) central surface 5 to back up the central portion of the printing plate, the hat surface 5 being surrounded by a shallow depression 6 to receive the iianges around the edges of the printing plate. sure head l arranged to swing upwardly and to the right (Fig. 1) to receive the sheet to be printed between the platform 3 and the bottom of the head. A roller 3 is mounted in the head to roll an ink ribbon against the upper surface of the sheet to be printed, the roller being actuated by arms 9 and a handle l ll. The ink ribbon feeds transversely under the head between two ribbon rolls mounted in casings ll, one of which is shown in Fig. 1. The ribbon is fed step by step from one roll to the other by means of a ratchet wheel l i and a pawl i3, the pawl being pivoted on the head 'l so as to be actuated by engagement with the platform 3 each time the head is swung downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1. A machine of this kind is described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 575,775, filed November 18, 1931.

The printing plate Hl shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is formed of sheet metal with printing letters embossed therein as shown in Fig. 4. Opposite edges of the plate are bent to form stiiening flanges I 5, one of which has a notch i6 cooperating with a pin ll in the printing machine (Fig. 2) so that only plates intended to be used in a particular machine will t into printing position in that machine. One end of the printing plate has a tab t3 for removing the plate from its casing, and the other end has a bent-down iiange to provide shoulders for locking the printing plate in its casing, the flange I9 having two cut-out portions 29 to receive the latches hereinafter described.

The printing plate casing shown in Figs. 3, 6, 'i' and 8 comprises top and bottom plates 2l and 22, the lateral margins of the plates being bent at right angles into overlapping relationship and being permanently united by solder or other suitable means. As shown in Fig. 6 the plates 2l and 22 have no flanges on the end through which the printing plate is inserted and at the opposite end the plates are provided with overlapping anges having a central opening 23 and two side openings 29. The space defined by the plates 2l and 22 is preferably just large enough to receive the printing plate when inserted iiatwise.

The mechanism for latching the printing plate in its casing comprises two plates 25 and 2G spaced slightly apart and interconnected along corresponding edges by integral bridges 2l separated by a central opening 28 and two lateral Pivotally mounted on the base l is a presopenings 29. Latches 30 are pivotally mounted between the plates 25 and 26 by means of rivets 3|, which also serve to interconnect the two plates, the latches extending out through the openings 2S into position to engage the iiange I9 of the printing plate when the plate is inserted into the casing 2l-22. Each latch 3|] has a shoulder 3| adapted to engage behind a lateral portion 32 of the ange i9 and, somewhat nearer the forward end of the latch, another shoulder 33 adapted to engage behind the central portion of the iiange i9 when the latch is swung toward the center of the casing beyond the unlatching position shown in Fig. 8. A spring 34 is provided to urge each latch outwardly about its pivot. The outer ends of the latches are tapered so that when the plate is inserted into the casing the latches are automatically cammed toward the center until the flanges 32 pass the shoulders 3| whereupon the latches snap into locking position. In order to unlock the plate the latches must be simultaneously swung inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 8 and if either latch is swung too far its inner shoulder 33 will engage behind the central portion 9 of the plate flange, thereby rendering it diicult to remove the plate with any means other than an unlocking device designed especially for this particular latching mechanism. The latching unit is held in position in the plate casing by means of shoulders 5! formed by cutting away the ends of the anges of the bottom plate 22 of the casing, the unit being restrained against endwise movement by the anges of the top plate 2| and against movement away from the shoulders 5! by the overlapping end flanges of the two plates.

The unlocking device shown at 35 in Fig. 1 and in section in Figs. 2, 7, 8 and 9 comprises a socket shaped to receive the plate casing in snug sliding relationship, the device comprising a bottom plate 33 having a downturned flange for attachment to the base of the printing machine by means of a screw 31 and having side flanges 38 turned upwardly. The device also comprises a top plate 39 somewhat shorter than the bottom plate 35, the top plate also having a downturned flange for attachment by means of the screw 3l. The edges of the top plate 3l may be soldered or otherwise secured to the upper edges of the flanges 33. Mounted between the downturned flanges of the two plates 35 and 3'! is a third plate 40 having at its upper edge two iingers 5| projecting from the bottom of the socket intermediate the two plates 35 and 39 in position to extend into the openings 24 of the plate casing when the latter is inserted into the socket. When the plate casing is thus inserted the projections 4| engage the inclined surfaces on lugs (|12 of the latches to move the latter into unlocking position. Thus the plate is unlocked in response to straight-line or rectilinear relative movement between the casing and unlocking dev1ce.

Mounted in a socket 43 in the base is a plunger l normally urged outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2 by means of a spring 45. This plunger has a projection extending into the socket in position to extend through the central opening 23 of the plate casing when the latter is inserted into the socket, thence through the opening 28 into Contact with the ange I9 on the end of the plate. The length of the plunger 44 is such that when the plate casing is inserted into the socket the plunger is pressed rearwardly against the action of its spring by Contact with the ange I9 on the plate and, when the plate is unlatched from its casing, the plunger snaps forwardly to the position shown in Fig. 8 thereby partially ejecting the plate from its casing so that the plate may be readily grasped by the iingers for transfer to its printing position 5-6 in Fig. 2. To restore the plate to its casing the latter may be first removed from the socket of the unlocking device and the plate, when slipped back into the casing, is automatically latched within the casing. However, the plate is preferably restored to the casing before the latter is removed from the unlocking device, this being possible for the reason that the latches do not remain in unlatched position but move back to latching position in response to springs 34, the cam action between shoulders 42 and pins 4| simultaneously forcing the casing outwardly of the socket a suiiicient distance to permit this automatic restoration of the latches to latching position.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination of a printing plate, a casing therefor, the plate having a compartment shaped to receive the. plate snugly, the casing having an opening in one edge through which the plate may be inserted, and a latch in the casing engageable with a shoulder on the plate for latching the plate in the casing, the casing also having an opening in the opposite edge to receive an unlatching device and said latch being movable out of engagement with said shoulder in response to rectilinear movement between said casing and device lengthwise of the casing.

2. The combination of a printing plate, a casing therefor, the plate having a compartment shaped to receive the. plate snugly, the casing having an opening in one edge through which the plate may be inserted, and a latch at the opposite edge of the casing for detachably holding the plate in the casing, the casing also having an opening in the opposite edge to receive an unlatching device and said latch being movable out of engagement with said shoulder in response to rectilinear relative movement between said casing and device lengthwise of the casing.

3. The combination of a printing plate having a shoulder at one end, a flat casing having an opening in one edge to receive the plate with said end of the plate foremost, and a latch in the other end of the casing engageable with said shoulder to hold the plate in the casing, the casing also having an opening in the opposite edge to receive an unlatching device and said latch being movable out of engagement with said shoulder in response to rectilinear relative movement between said casing and device lengthwise of the casing.

4. The combination of a printing plate having a ange at one end, a casing shaped to receive the plate with said end foremost, and a latch in the casing engageable with said ange, the casing having an opening to receive an unlocking device and said latch being movable out of engagement with said fiange in response to rectilinear relative movement between said casing and device.

5. The combination of a printing plate having a shoulder at one end facing toward the opposite end of the plate, a at casing having an opening at one end to receive the plate with the shoulder end of the plate foremost. and a latch movable flatwise of the casing into engagement with said shoulder for latching the plate in the casing, the casing also having an opening in the opposite edge to receive an unlatching device and said latch being movable out of engagement with said shoulder in response to rectilinear relative movement between said casing and device lengthwise of the casing.

6. The combination of a printing plate, a casing therefor, the plate having a compartment shaped to receive the plate snugly, the casing having an opening in one edge through which the plate may be inserted, a latch in the casing engageable with a shoulder on the plate for latching the plate in the casing, and an unlatehing device having a socket to receive the casing and a projection in the socket for unlatching said plate when the casing is inserted into the socket.

'7. The combination of a printing plate having a shoulder at one end, a flat casing having an opening at one end to receive the plate with said end of the plate foremost, a latch in the other end of the casing engageable With said shoulder to hold the plate in the casing, and an unlatching device having a spring-pressed plunger engageable with said plate through the other end of the casing to eject the plate from the casing.

8. The combination of a printing plate having shoulders at onel end facing toward the opposite end of the plate, a at casing having an opening at one end to receive the plate with the shoulder end of the plate foremost, latches independently movable ilatwise of the casing into engagement with said shoulders for latching the plate in the casing, and an unlatching device having a socket to receive the other end of the casing and means in the socket for simultaneously disengaging the latches from said shoulders and ejecting the plate from the casing.

9. The combination of a printing plate having a latching shoulder, a plate casing having a latch engageable with said shoulder to retain the plate in the casing, a stamping machine shaped to receive said plate for printing purposes, a casing holder on said machine, said holder having a socket to receive said casing, and means in the socket to unlatch and eject the plate for use in said machine while retaining the casing.

STANLEY ANTHONY. 

